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Call to Order President Nick called the meeting to order at 12:30 p.m. and led Rotarians in the recitation of the Four-Way Test. Reflection Chris Holman delivered the reflection. I missed it, unfortunately, because I got stuck in construction traffic in the Frandor area and arrived late! I’m sure it inspired all. Patriotic Song The Patriotic Song was God Bless America. Introduction of Guests & Visiting Rotarians Cathy Zell did a fabulous job tossing the blue-square mic to Rotarians who introduced themselves or their guests. Red Badge Presentation President Nick presented Jenny Marr with her red badge. Congratulations, and welcome to the club, Jenny! Health of the Club President Nick announced that there was nothing to report regarding the Health of the Club, which we all infer to mean, everyone is in good health! Special Music When he knew his wife, Lillian Werbin, President and Co-owner of Elderly Instruments, was to be today’s speaker, Chair of the Month Ben Rathbun reached out to Dr. Steve  Robinson, and said, “You worked at Elderly Instruments. Maybe you could play?” Steve said he could do better than that and put together a string band of Elderly Instruments alumni employees. They never played together as an ensemble. Being old-time string band musicians, they tried to come up with a funny name for themselves all through lunch. Steve introduced his fellow band members — in reverse order of hire date at Elderly Instruments — and shared some trivia as well: • Dave Keller (fiddle and mandolin) was hired in 2002; • Doug Birch, an incredible dulcimer maker, was hired in 1996 (Doug and Steve were in a string band together called The Frenzy Brothers (The Frenzy Brothers - Stev187's Blog - Banjo Hangout). They were the Monday night string band for about eight years at the old Travelers Club International Restaurant and Tuba Museum; • Dr. Robinson hired in at Elderly Instruments in 1990; • Brian Heffren plays fiddle and was hired in 1984; • Steve Szilagyi plays bass and was hired in 1980 (LCC trivia: Szilagyi’s son is LCC’s head librarian); and • Stan Werbin doesn’t have a hire date, but the store was founded in 1972. Another bit of trivia, according to Dr. Robinson: When old-time musicians want to stop playing a tune, one of them will lift their leg. The ensemble played Spotted Pony and Soldier’s Joy while the audience tapped their feet to the beat. Announcements February Birthday Donations Craig Stiles reported 100% participation among Rotarians with February birthdays, raising $1,000. The birthday question was, “If someone were to describe yourself as an ice cream flavor, what flavor would that be?” Umakanth said, “Plain vanilla will suffice unless they create an entirely unique flavor.” Diane Sanborn said, “Two of my favorite flavors are coconut-raspberry.” Michelle Carlson said, “Mint chocolate chip,” because it was one of her favorites, and she’s kind of a bright and sweet person. Kayla Park said, “Pistachio. Classic and traditional with just a touch of new me.” She said she did get a second opinion: Hot ice cream, since she hates the cold and still gets to eat the pistachios.” Craig asked his kids what flavor he is. They all had their own flavors that they like but landed on, “You’re kind of the base of all flavors, and you go along with any topping. You’re kind of a nut, kind of a fruit.” Happy birthday, Rotarians! International Grant Umakanth reported on the $5,000 international grant for Stem for All. He discussed the online learning infrastructure project at two remote villages in Tamil Nadu, India: Cheyyur and Samayapuram. Each received $2,500 through an FCRA-approved organization. The funds were used to purchase a laptop, projector, screen and accessories, internet connection and stipend for teacher assistants, which resulted in online and in-house classes. number of videos of the students thanking Rotary for their assistance in getting them a Wi-Fi connection. He said, “You empowered me, so these students can be considered your grandchildren. I’m creating hope in the world.” Foundation Signature Grants Applications for the $50,000 signature grant are being sought between Feb. 19 and March 11. Local grants are available from March 11 through April 5. There will be a link in the Rotogram. If you’re aware of local organizations that are interested in applying, check out the website. Membership Committee Meeting President Nick announced that the committee would meet in the President’s Room just after the regular club meeting. Chair of the Month and Chair of the Day President Nick thanked Ben Rathbun for serving as Chair of the Month and Chair of the Day. Ben enthusiastically introduced his wife, Lillian Werbin, president and co-owner of Elderly Instruments. Rotarians applauded Lillian for Elderly Instruments — named by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce the 2023 America’s Top Small Business (see news release and video at Elderly Instruments: Celebrating America's Top Small Business 2023 at). She highlighted the business’s history and legacy. Elderly was started in 1972 with two people, which was born of a dream. They made a catalog. Lillian started in 2014 part-time in the warehouse and had no idea it would be her life. She found an organic love for the business. The pandemic hit, and they learned how to make sure the business survived. She is now co-owner of the business with her dad, Stan Werbin. She credits her staff for the business’s success. • Inventory is expansive and unique • There are other music stores in the nation but not all care about what they care about • Collective expertise and knowledge – 52 years this July; 20 people who worked at Elderly for over 10 years – “We horde our knowledge and we share it with each other, and we share it with others in the community.” • Cutting-edge technology • Expert repairs and setup • Expansive network • Our strong community  Just over 40 staffers. Four are part time; most are full time. Elderly manages four generations and eight departments: purchasing, accounts payable, HR, IT, marketing and sales, repair and appraisals. Lillian explained that the instrument comes in from vendors and goes to the repair shop. It goes to our warehouse and gets put away. The salesperson sells an instrument, and it goes back to the repair shop and out the door. “There are hundreds of steps in between,” she said. “Our job is to make it so that the customer feels very fulfilled, and we do a good job of that.” Elderly Instruments’ core values were established about seven years ago. They have always been the backbone of Elderly Instruments, and we kind of took all of our history and tried to figure out what the overarching ideas were that have never changed: knowledgeable, enthusiastic, resilient, community-focused, authentic and results-oriented. Elderly Instruments’ inventory, shipping and repair has over 1,600 instruments in stock. Of those, approximately 1,000 are guitars. They also inventory and sell small goods and hard-to-find folk instruments. Anything that is ordered by 2 p.m. is shipped the same day (97%). All items are inspected by the repair shop. Elderly has an international presence, they are big on sponsorships and donations; they host events at Elderly and around Lansing; and the owners are heavily involved in the community. When they cannot donate, they volunteer their time. Following an exceptional question-and-answer session, the meeting adjourned at 1:30 p.m. The email for Lolo Robison: lrobison@cata.org |
Erica Lynn was born and raised in Lansing, MI, spending most of her childhood on the East side of Lansing before moving to the South side as a teen, proudly graduating from Everett High School. She enjoyed a 17 year career with the American Cancer Society in leadership roles involving project and people management, fundraising, and consulting. She is currently a Senior Project Coordinator in the Center for Culturally Responsive Engagement at MPHI, supporting projects in which the most impacted are at the center of conversations that seek to find solutions to problems affecting them.
